BEFORE & AFTER: contemporary apartment gets a mid-century modern twist | Anna Smardz

There were just a few pieces of furniture missing. The apartment was finished by a developer and the kitchen cabinets and appliances were selected by the owners. It seemed that the space was almost done and pretty much stylistically defined. However, in the process of a gratifying collaboration we ended up with a complete transformation, inspired by the mid-century modern style.

Existing gray walls, decorative moldings and some furniture pieces were indicative of the New York style, the design thought of the developer’s architect. Nevertheless, a conversation with the owners suggested a somewhat different path. My clients were interested in including some pieces of Polish furniture, both modern and vintage. They were also inspired by the mid-century modern style, which is quite popular in the U.S., as they already had a Scandinavian equivalent of the famous Eames Lounge Chair with ottoman in the living room. Understanding these new requirements, I went to work, became inspired, and the transformation began.
We started off with the living room and the semi-open kitchen. We designed a steel framed window in the wall separating these two spaces. Then we moved onto lighting. The unnecessary abundance of spotlights above the sofa was replaced by a single mid-century light fixture. We sold online all the existing light fixtures, kitchen stools and night stands. We selected new lighting, wall art, décor, radiators, electronics, and all the remaining pieces of furniture, except the sofa, arm chair, and bed frame.The apartment also required a new coat of paint. The bedroom and the separate dressing room were linked by a common green-gray color. The kitchen, living room and hallway were painted white, which made the space seem taller. The apartment was now full of gentle modern minimalism.